Apache2 : Setup named virtual hosts

A server is setup on local lan which acts as a development server, backup server, a secure domain to manage database servers and host other important data on local lan. The setup is same for a valid FQDN which can be accessed from WAN.

Server : Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

Application server :  LAMP stack

Main site path : /var/www/html

domain name : myserver.lan

Virtual host path :  /var/www/vhosts                 

domain name1 : your domain name. 

Example : dev.myserve.lan

domain name2 : your domain name. 

Example : secure.myserver.lan

• Create config files for vhosts 

run command :             

cd /etc/apache2/sites-available

sudo cp  000-default.conf  dev-myserver-lan.conf

sudo cp 000-default.conf  secure-myserver-lan.conf

• Edit config files:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/secure-myserver-lan.conf

# Note: you can add ip as <VirtualHost 192.168.1.1:80> to respond to a specific ip.

<VirtualHost *:80>

    ServerName secure.myserver.lan

    #ServerAlias www.myserver.lan 

    ServerAdmin secure_myserver_lan@localhost

    DocumentRoot /var/www/secure

# This site can be accessed from local lan  and ip range (192.168.*.*) only

    <Directory /var/www/secure/>

        require host localhost

        require ip 127.0.0.1

        require ip 192.168

    </Directory> 

# very important set logs for each site (personal preference)

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/secire_myserver_lan-error.log
 

    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/secure_myserver_lan-access.log combined

<VirtualHost>

• Enable virtual host

# sudo a2ensite your-domain-conf

sudo a2ensite secure-myserver-lan.conf

sudo systemctl restart apache2

• Disable virtualhost

# sudo a2ensite your-domain-conf

sudo a2dissite secure-myserver-lan.conf

sudo systemctl restart apache2

• Routing : If the domains are on local lan, you can forward the requests from your router or add to local host file

sudo nano /etc/hosts

[...]

192.168.1.251    secure.myserver.lan

192.168.1.251    dev.myserver.lan

[...]

• To access the site from a browser use the http or https tag without fail or you may be redirected to websearch

Browser address bar

Wrong : dev.myserver.lan

Right : http://dev.myserver.lan

Right : https://dev.myserver.lan